Outer Space Adventures
by Tsukasa-kun
Summary: Another legendary treasure other than the Galactic Leyline? A rich man's daughter missing? With Jim's ankle broken, what will happen to our intrepid heroes? Set in Jim's POV.
1. Default Chapter

Outer Space Adventures An OLS fanfic by Tsukasa-kun  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own OLS or any of its characters.  
  
Chapter one  
  
One day, I was trying to sleep in when I was awoken to the noise of some hustle and bustle going on outside the room. I put on my shoes and went out, stifling a yawn as I walked. Gene and the others were at the table, looking like they were privately discussing a job. When Gene saw me, they instantly shut up.  
"Hey guys! What's goin' on?" I asked.  
Gene shrugged and cleared his throat. "Well.we were, uh, discussing.uhm..a.uh.job! Yeah, a job!"  
I climbed into a chair next to him. "Oh yeah? What kinda job?"  
Gene began sweating and cleared his throat. "Uh.in the.reaches of.the other side of the galaxy. A, uh, guy wants us to find an old treasure for.."  
I looked at him strangely as I poured myself a cup of still-fresh coffee. "Aniki, we already found the Galactic Leyline a LOOOOOONG time ago!"  
Gene smirked. "Yeah, I know that. It's a.NEW kind of treasure!"  
I tested him. "What kinda 'treasure'? And I don't really wanna do it if Fred is involved!"  
He looked like he was in a state of panic. "Uh."  
I laughed. "HA! There's no treasure! There's no job! But, you're planning something."  
Melfina stepped in. "Uh, Jim.why don't you.uh, go and.oh! Your car needs a new transmission, and you were saying last night that you really wanted to fix it, remember? So, why don't you go do it right now?"  
I eyeballed her suspiciously. "Mel, not you too? But, I guess I'd better get to that transmission, eh?" I winked and grabbed an apple as I slid off the chair and moseyed my way out the door.  
  
* * *  
"Blast! Where's that wrench?!" I looked around our toolshed over and over again. "AHA!!" I found the wrench and went back to my poor, sick Efrau. Oh, in case you're wondering, Efrau is German for "wife". And before you get any strange ideas, let's get on with the story, OKAY?  
I took the new transmission from our shop (it's really great owning a parts shop and everything's free when you're one of the owners! Okay, we pay for the shipping of all our parts!) and made my way back to my car.  
As I was working on my car, I overheard some bystanders nearby.  
"Hey, did you ever hear of the legendary Fortune across the way?" One asked.  
"No, what is it?" The other inquired.  
"Well, it's said that those who get their hands on it will have enough booty to last them more than 10 lifetimes!"  
The other guy just whistled. "Woah!"  
"Yeah," the one guy remarked "Just good luck finding yourself a crew and a sturdy enough rig to make it across the asteroid field!" They walked away laughing.  
I looked out from under the Efrau. Woah.I thought Was Gene really telling the truth? Is there really a treasure out there other than the Galactic Leyline? I shrugged and went back to work.  
  
* * *  
Later on that day, I came back inside for lunch. Mel took one look at me and gasped at the grease all over my body.  
"Jim! Why are you walking in here soaked in grease?! Y-you're covered from head to toe!"  
I chuckled and reached a hand behind my head. "I know. Ain't it great?"  
Mel put her hands on her hips. "Not if you're going to eat in my kitchen!"  
I turned around. "Speaking of which? What's cookin'?"  
She smiled. "Beef Wompa."  
I licked my lips. "Mmmm! My favorite!" I walked over to taste it.  
Mel put her hand in my face. "Nah-uh! Not until you wash up!"  
I groaned and walked out of the kitchen.  
  
* * *  
Ten minutes later, we all walked into the kitchen and sat down. Lunch was wonderful, as usual. After lunch, I pulled Gene aside. He looked at me weird. "Jim, what's the matter?"  
I pulled him down to my height. "Y'know that treasure that you were talking about earlier?"  
Gene hesitated. "Yeah, what about it?"  
I told him of the events that occurred earlier.  
"Really?" Gene didn't seem too shocked.  
"Gene, I really think we should check it out!" I insisted.  
Gene rolled his eyes. "Okay, if you insist."  
I gave him a shove. "Aniki, please be serious!" I laughed.  
He gave me a noogie. "Is this serious enough for you?"  
I laughed again and shoved Gene aside. "Now cut it out before someone gets-"  
Too late. As I backed up, I tripped over something and fell down the stairs. 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter two  
  
"Jim! Are you all right?!" Gene and Mel rushed to my side.  
I glared at Gene and growled. I looked at my left leg, which was covered in blood. "See, what did I tell you?!"  
Gene just scratched his head. "Can you get up?"  
I stood up, but fell down again. "Owww."  
"What hurts?" Mel asked.  
"M-my left ankle.I-I think it's-" I stammered before the room started to black out.  
Gene shook me. "Jim, hang in there! Mel, go boil some water!!"  
I snapped out of it. "Gene, wouldja just stop worryin' about me? You're giving me a headache!!"  
Gene shook his head. "First, let's get you upstairs and find out what's wrong." He started to pick me up.  
"Don't drop me!" I teased in a mousy voice as he lifted me up. Another tremendous jolt of pain shot through my leg. "OWWWW!"  
  
* * *  
Gene gently placed me on my bed and started to look at my ankle. "Ok, Jim. For one thing, your ankle is twice the size of your other one."  
I looked and noticed it for the first time.  
Gene continued to examine it. "And you need to be seen by a doctor."  
I now looked at him. "Aniki! Can't YOU tell me what is wrong??"  
"It's not a problem I can fix, Jim."  
"THEN TELL ME WHAT IT IS!!!!!"  
Gene smiled at me. "You don't like the doctor, do you? You're just like any other little kid."  
I glared at him. "I'm NOT a little kid!"  
He sternly looked at me. "I know, but you're sure ACTING like one! You need to settle down first before I tell you anything!"  
I took a deep breath. Gene looked at my knuckles, which were pure white from gripping the bed. I released them and took another deep breath.  
Gene continued. "Thank you. Now, what do you get when you have two ankles on one leg?"  
I gave him another look. "Nice sense of humor you got, Starwind. That's what I was trying to tell you!!"  
"Why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"I blanked out. That happens when you pass out, Gene!"  
Mel came in with a pot of hot water and a clean dish rag. "Here you go, Gene."  
"Thanks, Mel." He pulled back my pants leg, dipped the rag in the water, and started cleaning my leg. "Hope you don't plan on using this rag again."  
Mel smiled. "Nah. Oh, and I contacted a physician to come set Jim's ankle."  
Gene smiled back. "Thanks."  
Mel came over to my side, sat down, and started stroking my hair. "Don't worry, Jim. It's going to be all right."  
Now it was my turn to smiled at her in spite of my pain. "Thanks, Mel."  
Just then, the door slammed and the noises of an irritated Ctarl- Ctarl sounded in the kitchen.  
"Hey, where's everyone?" She walked down the hall, looking in all directions and saw us. "Oh, THERE you are!! Why was there a doctor at the door-MEOW! What happened to Jim?"  
Mel stood up. "Oh, the doctor! Aisha, Jim fell down the stairs and broke his ankle."  
Aisha shook her head. "Tsk, tsk. That goes to show how vunerable you humans are!"  
"Would that include me?"  
Aisha spun around. "SUZU!!"  
Suzuka took Melfina's place at my side. I turned my head as far as I could. "Hey, Suzuka!"  
Just then, Mel and some old dude came into the room.  
".Yes, sir, he fell down the stairs right there."  
"And how old is this boy?"  
"Eleven."  
He looked at me and was startled. "Oh, you mean eleven YEARS! I thought you meant."  
I propped myself on my elbows and asked "Excuse me sir, but do I look like I contain the intellect, height and physique of a baby to you? Now, I know I'm short, but I'm just a kid!"  
He chuckled. "Now that I think of it, you do have the intellect of a genius!" He looked at Aisha and Suzuka. "You two, out."  
Aisha looked like she wanted to put up a fight. "WHAT?? Excuse me sir, is that any way to talk to a MMPH!!" Suzuka placed a hand over Aisha's gaping mouth. "We'll make our leave. We'll just be in the way."  
The doctor nodded. "Thank you."  
After they left, the doctor started his work on my ankle.  
  
* * *  
A few hours later, the Doc sat back and wiped his brow. "Whew! That was the hardest ankle I've ever set! What do you drink, boy? And how did you break it so easily?"  
"Milk, of course! Oh yeah. And some coffee. How did I break my ankle? I was going so fast down the stairs that I whacked it on something and also landed on it really hard."  
"And you're faithful to the milk?"  
"Every single day, Doc."  
His eyebrows shot up and he looked proudly at Gene and Mel. "You must have some pretty dedicated parents, my boy!"  
Spit flew everywhere as Gene started to look like he was choking.  
The poor Doc looked confused. "Did I say something wrong?"  
Gene regained his composure. "No, Doc, it's just that."  
Mel finished for him. "We're not his real parents."  
"On top of that," Gene stated "I'm only 20 years old. I'd be pretty young for a father of an eleven year-old, doncha think?"  
The Doc shook his head. "I just assumed." He looked at me again, this time suspiciously. "Where's your father?"  
I blinked. "My father's dead. Why do you ask?"  
"I'm so sorry to hear that. Who was he?"  
"My father was.hey, why do you even wanna know who my father is?"  
He continued. "You look strangely familiar. Are you related to a Michael Hawking, by any chance?"  
I bolted right up. "Wait a minute. How do you know him?"  
The Doc blinked. "You look awfully like an old fellow classmate of mine. He and I studied machines together. Only, I found people a lot easier than machines, and you can actually communicate well with them."  
My mouth gaped. "No way!! Michael Hawking is my father!"  
He must have noticed I was straining, so he shoved me back down. "Careful, boy! You're not quite used to a cast yet!"  
"Gene has a castor and I'm quite used to that!" I joked.  
"Let's see about that, Jim." Gene pretended to get his castor.  
The Doc started to write something down. "Yeah, quite the engineer, your father was. Always was ahead. He even aided in the making of an experimental ship called the XGP."  
I nodded. "He was always busy, but he did teach me a lot."  
"What do you do now?"  
I leaned back a little more. "I'm partners with Gene in a parts shop." That wasn't entirely the truth, but what else could I say?  
The Doc finished writing and handed the piece of paper to Gene. "This is a checklist of what you should do. He is not to put any weight on that foot for about a few months."  
My eyes shot wide open. "Ya mean I hafta sit still that long? Can't I use crutches or somethin'?"  
"Of course you can use crutches. What I mean is that you can't do too much more in your shop until that ankle of yours is completely healed.  
I spread my arms out, threw myself back into bed, and sighed.  
Just then, Aisha popped her head in. "Excuse me, but may we come back in now?"  
The Doc stood completely up. "I'd better get going. It was nice getting to know you guys, especially Michael Hawking's son."  
Gene reached into his pocket and pulled out some money.  
The Doc put out his hand and shook his head. "No, it's all right. I knew his father, remember?"  
Gene put the whong back into his pocket. "You sure?"  
The Doc smiled. "Absolutely. See, his father saved my life once, and this is my way to repay my debt, to his son." Then he turned around. "By the way, boy, what's your name?"  
"Jim."  
"Jim, huh? I remember you. You've grown up so much. Michael would be very proud of you."  
Then he smiled once more, nodded at the others, and left. 


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter three  
  
A week later, I sat at the table with my ankle propped up on a foot stool. I was so bored, even my muscles were bored!  
Mel bustled about, trying to get supper ready.  
"Mel, can I help you with something?"  
"No, that's all right, Jim. I'm almost done, anyway."  
I grabbed my crutches and slipped out of my chair.  
Mel stepped in front of me and teased in her best mom voice. "And where are you going, young man?"  
I laughed and said "I just want to see if Gene needs me to do something for him, like, retrieve small parts for him, or something."  
Mel stepped aside and went back to her work. "Be my guest."  
  
* * *  
Gene was working on his car. "Drat, why didn't I grab that spark plug?"  
I looked to my right and gladly grabbed the part.  
"Here you are!" I cheerfully handed it to him.  
"Thanks." Then he bumped his head on the hood when he realized who it was. "Jim? Aren't you supposed to be inside resting?!"  
"Aw, Gene! Can't a guy help out every once in a while, even if he has a broken joint?"  
Gene shrugged. "I guess...did Mel need any help?"  
It was my turn to shrug. "No, she said she was almost done."  
"Okay, I guess you can help. I need that wrench over there."  
I happily retrieved the tool and handed it to him.  
"Oh, hey, Jim."  
"Yeah, aniki?"  
".Let's go back and see if Mel is ready."  
We were walking back when he 'fessed up. "About the treasure."  
"What about?"  
"There's no such thing."  
My jaw dropped open. "But what about the rumors I heard?"  
Gene looked at me. "Did one of the guys have a beard and the other had a tattoo?"  
"Yeah."  
"I kinda paid those guys to talk like that in front of your car while you were working on it."  
I clapped my hands and before I could tell him "I knew it!! You WERE planning something!" The door opened and there was a shout of "Surprise!!"  
I froze in my tracks. "Uh, Gene.what's this about?"  
Gene grinned from ear to ear. "We got a job, Jim. A good one."  
I cleaned out my ears. "Wha??"  
"Some rich guy offered to pay us a lot if we could find his long-lost daughter."  
"Where?"  
"Somewhere in this system."  
My face lit up like a Christmas tree. "That means we're only a short ride away from home."  
Gene frowned and said, "In the far reaches of this system, that is."  
My jaw dropped. "Now, that's more than several days' travel!"  
"And this guy says his daughter could be anywhere!"  
I sat down to the wonderful dinner that Mel put before us and rested my head on my hands. "Man."  
Gene sat next to me and said. "But he did say he would pay us a lot, even if his daughter's dead, he wants to find out what became of her. Either way, we're gonna get a big boost in our reputation, and our whong supply!"  
"Gene, what're we gonna do when it comes time for my cast to come off? I'm gonna need physical therapy, y'know!"  
"Yeah, I know. I contacted the old man last week and told him what had happened. He said he knew a great doc in the place where he thinks his daughter is hiding, and he offered to pay for everything!"  
I just sighed. For some reason, I had a bad feeling about it.  
  
* * *  
The next day, we all valiantly entered our ship, the Outlaw Star. You see, this was the XGP, the ship that my father helped to build.  
Gilliam, our ship's computer, scooted to Gene. "Gene, the ship scan is complete. Ready for liftoff anytime."  
"Great. Thanks, Gilliam! We'll launch as soon as possible."  
"You're welcome, Gene." He scooted off.  
Right behind me, Aisha was acting like she had to pee her pants. I turned to face her. "What's up, Aisha? Why are you acting like that?"  
"Right now, I'm so excited that I can hardly contain it! Once again, I get to show the universe just how strong we Ctarl-Ctarl are!" She threw back her head and laughed her usual maniacal laughter. Suzuka was right next to her and told her to calm down. "I'm going to make sure you never drink coffee again!"  
"Try me, Suzu!" Suzuka really hates it when Aisha calls her "Suzu".  
I readjusted my crutches and we moved forward.  
  
* * *  
Once we were in the cockpit, Gene made sure the seat was properly positioned for me to prop up my injured ankle. Melfina, however, was in a tank because she's our ship's main computer besides Gilliam. Once we were positioned, Mel started the countdown.  
"Hey Jim, you sure you're all right?" Gene asked.  
"Yeah, aniki," I replied "You sure did a great job with this attachment!"  
"10.9.8.7.6."  
The boosters started up. It was such a violent tremor that I winced.  
  
I turned and saw that Gene looked concerned. He obviously saw me wince. "5.4.3.2." "No turning back now, aniki."  
"Yeah, I guess you're right, Jim."  
"1.0!"  
The ship took off. It was much worse when we penetrated the atmosphere. My ankle hurt so much that I actually cried out in pain. When we cleared the atmosphere, Gene said, "Hey Jim, why don't you go rest in the crew's quarters for a bit?"  
"You sure, aniki?"  
"Yeah, I'm sure. It sure was no party, riding through the atmosphere."  
I slowly got up. "If you insist.thanks, aniki!"  
I went to the crew's quarters and prepared myself for a nice, LONG nap! 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter four  
  
"Hey, Dad!!"  
"Yeah, son?"  
"Look! I hacked into your computer!!" I proudly held up my laptop.  
"Yes, very good, Jim! I've obviously taught you well, didn't I?" He playfully tousled my hair. "I love you, Jim, and you make me proud. Howsabout we go to your favorite restaurant to eat?"  
My face brightened and I jumped up and down with joy. "Yeah! You're the best dad ever!!"  
Just then, someone knocked on the door. Dad went to go answer it, telling me to stay where I was.  
I was wondering what was happening, 'cause he was taking an awfully long time at the door. I caught such phrases as: "How bad do you need." and "My five year-old son's in the other room and I promised him I'd take him out. I can't do it right now, please understand. I can't stand breaking his little heart. I promise to get to it tonight, okay?"  
When he finally came back, I asked him "What kinda business was it, Dad?"  
He tousled my hair again. "Just work, my son. Just work. You'll understand someday. C'mon, little man! Let's get changed and go!!"  
"Okay!"  
  
* * *  
While we were out, I rode piggyback on my Dad's shoulders, announcing to everyone else how great my Dad is. I looked down from my perch and I could see him smiling, but I could tell beyond his smile he was very worried. So, to make him feel better, I leaned down and shouted "Boo!!" in his face. He had the greatest look of shock on his face. I giggled. "Gotcha!"  
He reached behind his back. "Yes you did, you little weasel you!!" He grabbed the collar of my jacket and started roughhousing me before we got to the door.  
"Ow!"  
"What happened, Jim?"  
  
"I scratched my finger."  
"Oh, sorry son! Here, we'll take care of it once we go inside and then we'll get you ready for bed, okay?"  
"Okay!!"  
As soon as we were inside, he asked me which finger I scratched.  
"My right pointer."  
"All right." He provided a bandage and cleaned my finger. When he was done, he kissed it.  
"Why do you do that?"  
"So that your finger can get better quicker."  
"But that's an old wife's tale!"  
He laughed. "Nothing gets by you, huh Jim?"  
I vigorously nodded. "Nope!!"  
He picked me up. "Let's get you ready for bed, you little trooper!!"  
  
* * *  
I lay in bed, but I couldn't go to sleep. No matter how hard I tried, I wasn't tired, so I decided to go see what Dad was up to. I climbed out of bed and walked out of my room. I like my room. It was full of different parts of machines that I took apart and on the wall was my very first set of tools. It's very rare for a five year-old to own a blowtorch nowadays!  
As I was descending the stairs, I could hear someone yelling. "No!! You don't understand!! It's nothing like that!!" No one else was talking, so I assumed Dad was on the phone with someone he didn't like. I froze in my tracks.  
"Look, I had to!! I had no choice! It's in progress right now!"  
I could hear him sigh and pace around his room.  
"Okay, okay. I understand. No!! I'll work really hard!! Please don't-"  
  
Obviously the other person didn't like my Dad, either. I heard my Dad hang up, sigh again and utter some curses under his breath. I decided to see if he was okay, so I tiptoed over. But the sight sure wasn't pretty. He had thrown some things around and started kicking everything. The phone rang again seven times before he picked it up.  
"Listen, I told your associate that I was going to get right on it! Is it a crime to spend some quality time with my son?! You obviously don't understand a father's heart for his children!!"  
I couldn't stand it. Tears ran down my cheeks and my mouth automatically opened, even though I knew he was going to be mad at me. "Dad?"  
He quickly spun around. "Look, I can't talk right now. Family business to take care of." He hung up really quickly. "Jim, why on earth are you out of your bed at this time of night??"  
I reached my arms to him. "I can't sleep."  
He picked me up. "Is that so?" He looked at me square in the face. "Whatsa matter, little man?"  
I started to cry. "Why were you having a fight? I hate fights!"  
He began to look worried. "Son, sometimes people don't like my ideas of living. They rather." He paused to think of words I could understand. "They rather.I work on their ideas all the time."  
"Why don't they just leave us alone?!"  
He sighed heavily as he carried me up to my room. "I don't know, my son. I just don't know." 


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter five  
  
I woke up to the sound of Gilliam whirring next to my ear. "Ugh. Gilliam, what is it?"  
"We're almost there, Jim."  
"Really?" I hopped out of bed, forgetting about my ankle.  
"Jim, look out!!"  
I fell to the floor with a loud crash. As I was moaning, Gene rushed to me. "That was awful loud, Jim. Are you okay?"  
"Yeah, I think so. Hey, who's piloting the ship? Don't tell me Aisha-"  
Gene helped me up. "No, I put it on auto. What made you worry that I would ever give the helm to Aisha?"  
He handed me my crutches as I replied. "Because she has no tact."  
Gene gently patted my back. "C'mon, little man, let's go."  
I hesitated. "What is it, Jim?" He questioned.  
I slowly shook my head. "Aniki, you go on ahead. I.need a minute to recollect myself."  
"Are you okay?"  
  
I smiled. "Just a silly dream I had. I just need some time to completely wake up from it."  
"Okay, Jim, if you insist." He left the crew's quarters as I sat down.  
I rested my head on my palms as tears formed in my eyes. ".Dad."  
  
* * *  
Some minutes later, I slowly lowered myself into my usual spot with Gene's help. "Thanks, aniki."  
He patted my back again. "No prob."  
"Landing at the Transcending Sea, Gene."  
"Okay, Mel. Set a docking course." He said as he sat down.  
"Roger!"  
  
* * *  
After we landed, everyone went their separate ways. Gene asked if I would be all right going by myself. I told him I would be just fine, just needed to get out like everybody else.  
"Okay, meet at back at the Outlaw Star in five hours!"  
"Roger, aniki!" I waved as I hobbled off alone.  
  
* * *  
I walked about a nice part of the town and stopped at a bridge overlooking a widespread manmade reservoir.  
"Are you okay?"  
I looked about, then looked down at the owner of the little voice. It was a little girl with really cute pigtails. "What are you doing here, little girl? Where's your parents?"  
She sighed as she clutched her teddy bear. "Mommy and Daddy are at home having a fight. I ran out of the house when I could."  
"That's a nice teddy bear you have."  
She smiled up at me. Her highest pigtail barely reached my elbow. "Thank you!" Then she noticed my leg. "Oh! You have an owie!"  
  
"Huh?"  
"On your leg! What happened?"  
"I fell down the stairs." I explained, feeling embarrassed even admitting it in front of this little girl!  
"What's that thing on your leg?"  
"It's a cast."  
"Oh! Can I sign it?"  
I smiled at her. "Sure!"  
She took a marker out of her pocket and signed "Jamie" on it.  
"That's your name?" I asked.  
"Yup! My mommy named me!"  
"Really?"  
"What's your name, mister?"  
I chuckled softly and said, "Would you know it, my name is Jim."  
"What's so funny about that?"  
I explained. "My full first name is James. Jamie is the girl version of it!"  
Now she was laughing shrill, little-girl laughter. "That is funny!"  
"What's your parents' names?" I asked.  
"My daddy's name is Tetsuya and my mommy is Michelle."  
I felt like I just was hit with a ton of bricks.  
"What's wrong, mister?" Jamie asked.  
"It's just that." I went on ".My father's name is Michael. Michelle is the girl version of it."  
She broke into hysterics again, when she noticed I wasn't laughing  
along with her this time. "What's wrong, mister?"  
"Nothing."  
"Where's your mommy and daddy? Aren't they worried about you and your  
leg?"  
I looked again at the reservoir. That was something I didn't want to  
answer.  
"Jamie!!" A young woman of no more than 18 called out to her. "Coming, Mommy!" She looked at me. "Mommy promised to take me shopping. Nice to have met you, Mr. Jim!" She curtsied before she ran off. 


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter six  
  
A few hours later, I met the others back at the Outlaw Star. Gene suggested that they extend the break and go to "The Moon Café".  
When we got there, we sat down and ordered. In the booth next to us, we could hear some people argue.  
"I don't care! You obviously don't care, either! You know that I didn't want to go!"  
"Simple, dear, " A man who sounded like he was in his forties replied. "You can't deny that you want to be with me."  
"No! I never wanted ANY of this! I should have listened to my father!! I never should have taken off with you!"  
During the conversation, there were the occasional sniffles of a little girl.  
I looked at Gene and noticed that his eyes were locked on the young woman. "Aniki? What's wrong?"  
He snapped out of it. "Nothing, Jim." He passed me a photo and told me to look at the young woman. "What do you think, Jim?"  
The girl in the picture and the young woman looked exactly the same. I did a double take. She also looked exactly like the little girl's mother!  
I watched as the young woman took her small daughter's hand and started to leave. Gene followed her outside, motioning for me to be his backup. I grabbed my crutches and rolled my eyes as I got up to follow him.  
  
* * *  
"Excuse me, ma'am?" Gene sauntered up to the young woman. "Are you all right?"  
"Yes," the woman replied "Why do you ask?"  
Gene looked right through her. "You're lying." And he held up the photo from her father.  
Her mouth flew open and she snatched it from his hand. "Where did you get this?"  
"Your father."  
"H-how do you know my father?"  
"He hired us. He's very worried about you, Michelle."  
Tears formed in her eyes. "But, how can I trust you? And what do you mean by 'we'?"  
She looked behind Gene and saw me. "Goodness! What happened to him?" She pointed to my cast.  
I sighed. "Geez, this's getting monotonous!" And I explained my accident.  
She kneeled to my level. "Oh, you poor thing." Then she noticed the name signed on it. "Jamie.did my daughter sign it for you?"  
"Yeah." I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment.  
Just then, little Jamie ran right up to us and pointed to me. "Mommy, his name is James!"  
Michelle put her hand on Jamie's finger. "Don't point, Jamie." And she shook my hand. "Nice to meet you, James."  
"Please, just call me Jim."  
"Okay.Jim."  
She stood up and faced Gene. "You said you were sent by my father, right? How did he know where I was?"  
"The real point is, Michelle, he didn't know where you were! We just stopped here to take a breather."  
Just then, a real gruff-looking man stepped outside. "C'mon, Michelle, Jamie."  
Michelle stood her ground. "No, Tetsuya!! This time I'm not coming home! I'm going back to my father, and there's nothing you can do about it!"  
Tetsuya stepped forward. "Oh, I'll make you come home." Then he saw Gene. "Oh, is that it, huh?"  
"What's it?" Gene asked innocently.  
"That this here punk is trying to steal you away, huh?"  
Michelle stepped in to protect Gene. "No, Tetsuya! It's not what you think!!"  
"Out of the way, woman!!" He punched her, sending her into the wall.  
"Mommy!!!!!!" Little Jamie rushed to her mother's side, practically blinded by her tears. "Daddy, why did you hit Mommy? Why?"  
The man grabbed her by the collar and shook her. I could see the fear in her eyes as he spoke. "Stay out of this, you little brat." I couldn't take it anymore.  
"Hey!" I called out to him. "Leave her alone! She's just a little girl!!"  
He looked at me. "And just what're you going to do about it? You're nothing more than a little kid yourself, and besides, you've got a broken ankle!"  
That did it. "I am not a little kid!" I growled. I hobbled over to him and attempted wrestling the girl from his grip.  
"Cut that out, kid!" He growled, then stomped on my cast right where little Jamie had signed it. The cast broke apart, and my ankle hurt like blazes. But still, I couldn't let go.  
"Jim!" Gene yelled "Get away from there, you idiot!!"  
"Just what're ya gonna do, Jim?" The guy mocked "Oh, would you look. An open target." He stepped on my ankle again. "Oops, sorry, Jim!" I yelled in pain, but I still wouldn't let go.  
Jamie burst into fresh tears. "Daddy, stop it!" She found her courage, opened her mouth and bit really hard into his arm.  
The man screamed, letting go of her. I looked at Jamie in amazement. Just then, I felt a brutal force hit me right in the middle of my stomach, and I hit the ground.  
"Jim!" Melfina screamed, running to me with Aisha and Suzuka right at her heels.  
Tetsuya looked at his arm, which started to bleed. "Stupid brat." Then he looked at Gene. "All right, mister. Just you.'n me.and our weapons." 


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter seven  
  
Gene stood up after checking to see if I was all right. "All right." He pulled out his castor, then looked at Mel. "Hey Mel. Do me a favor?"  
"Anything, Gene."  
"Get that little girl far away, okay?"  
"Sure." She took the little girl's hand. "C'mon. Let's go."  
  
Jamie smiled up at Melfina. "I like you, lady."  
Mel smiled back, and then ran off.  
Aisha crouched, and Suzuka readied her bo.  
Gene held out a hand to stop them. "No, you guys. This is my fight. You two look after Jim, okay?"  
He now faced Tetsuya. Both of them waited for the other to draw their weapon.  
BA NG!!  
We all opened our eyes to see both slumping. "Gene!" I called out. "Are you okay?"  
"Yeah, Jim." Gene faced me, chuckled, and gave me a thumb's up. "Compared to your injuries, this is a piece of cake!"  
Just then, Tetsuya unsheathed a knife and lunged toward Gene, gashing his right arm.  
"AUGH!" Gene yelled. "Why you-" Gene slugged his opponent square in the jaw. "Take that!!"  
Both of them duked it out for fifteen minutes. Gene was so bloodied up that he could barely move.  
"Y'know, mister, it's not right.kidnapping a young girl like her against her wishes!"  
Tetsuya growled. "Not true. She invited herself along."  
"Shut up, Tetsuya!" Michelle shouted. "What this man says is true. I did say I was sick of my father, but that didn't mean I actually wanted to run away!" She laughed. "And now, you have no control of me! I'm going back to Father!"  
"No!" He pulled the trigger on her.  
We all watched in shock as she fell to the ground. Aisha ran over to her.  
Then we turned our gaze on Tetsuya, who was shaking like a leaf. "N- no.the love of my life.I--" Then he pulled the trigger on himself.  
Little Jamie peeked around the corner just in time to see all this happen. "Mommy!!!" She broke free of Melfina and ran straight over to her fallen mother.  
  
* * *  
"Mommy. Are you all right?" Little Jamie asked, tears streaming down her pixie face.  
Michelle, with the help of Aisha, sat up. "I-I'm all right, honey.ugh!!" The bullet had entered her side cavity. Suzuka gently picked me up and walked over. She set me down. "Don't move." She sternly told me, and went over to examine Michelle. She shook her head. "The bullet passed right through, so there's nothing to worry about. However, it looks as if it grazed the spinal cord, so you will probably be paralyzed from the waist down."  
  
I chuckled. "You sound just like a Doc, Suzuka."  
She looked at me. "I may, but her, you, and Gene need to go see a real one." She turned to Michelle. "Do you know where there is one?"  
  
Michelle shook her head. "No, but if you take me back home, my father knows a good one."  
Gene leaned against Mel. "Well, what're we waiting for? Suzuka, you carry her. Aisha, you get Jim. Everybody, back to the Outlaw Star!"  
  
* * *  
When everyone was bandaged and settled, I, however, was forced by Gene  
to stay in the crew's quarters with Michelle.  
"Yeah, but," I joked. "What're you gonna do if we get threatened by a  
bomb?" I was referring to the incident when we were hired as a tugboat  
team to retrieve an ad ship that was unknowingly rigged by a thief.  
"Oh, y'know. That's where my intuition and my good luck come in!"  
I groaned as he noogied me.  
"I haven't done that since the day you fell down the stairs!"  
He turned to Michelle, who patted Gene's hand. "Thank you, Mr.  
Starwind."  
Gene blushed. "Please, just call me Gene."  
Something came to my mind. "Hey Gene! Where's Jamie?"  
"Taking your place, Jim! She does quite well with Gilliam!" Gene  
laughed as he went back to the cockpit.  
Michelle leaned back. "That Gene is quite amazing."  
I grinned at her. "He's my aniki, that's why!" 


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight  
  
We arrived at Michelle's father's mansion with little incident. Gene trudged to the gate and told the intercom we were back.  
We met her father in the study. He got up pretty quick. "Back so soon, Starwind?"  
Gene smiled. "Yep. And."  
He stepped back to let Suzuka through. She held Michelle in her arms.  
The old man ran to her, tears in his eyes. "My Michelle!" He saw her injuries. "What happened, dear?"  
Suzuka stepped in. "A bullet grazed her spinal cord. Maybe with a good doctor, it's a possibility that with a little bit of surgery she may be able to walk again."  
Then the old man saw me. "What happened to your young friend?"  
Gene filled in for me.  
The old man nodded. "I see. Let's see if I can do something for you." He called his butler over and told him to send for his best physician. "We have some special patients for him to see."  
Just then, Michelle beckoned to Jamie. The little girl shyly stepped forward.  
Michelle's father stooped down. "And who is this cute-as-a-button little girl?"  
Michelle smiled. "Father, I'd like you to meet Jamie, your granddaughter!"  
Her father suddenly had a look of surprise on his face. "You mean my- " More tears formed in his eyes as Michelle told him the whole story. We all waited to see what he would do. Her father smiled and picked up little Jamie, tossing her into the air. "I used to do this to your mother all the time when she was your age!" He gave his granddaughter a bristly kiss on the cheek, causing her to shriek with laughter. "And she used to do that, too!"  
We all watched and laughed as he played with his newfound granddaughter until the butler came in. "Sir, the doctor is here."  
The old man put Jamie on his shoulders as he said, "Ah, good! Send him right in!"  
We all looked in amazement as the same Doc that looked after my ankle step in.  
  
* * *  
A week later, we were all packed up and ready to go home. The old man came out with our pay. "Here you go, Mr. Starwind!"  
Gene looked at the money. "But, sir, you over counted. This is more than the amount you promised to pay me!" He started to hand back the extra money when the old man stopped him. "No, keep it. You went through all that trouble and risked so much to bring my daughter AND my granddaughter back to me. You've caused me so much happiness that I want to help your business out a little!"  
Gene looked at him like it was a dream come true. "If you insist.thanks, mister!!"  
The Doc kneeled down to my level. "And you, young man, take better care of that ankle of yours! I'll be around to start your physical therapy. Right now, I need to look after Miss Michelle, here!"  
Michelle smiled. "You don't realize how good it feels to be forgiven, and to be called 'Miss' again!"  
Her surgery went well, and she was fast on the road to recovery, and walking again.  
Just before we went back on the ship, little Jamie burst from the crowd, wearing one of her mother's hand-me-down dresses. "Wait!!" She ran to me carrying her marker. "Here." She signed my cast again. "Since Daddy broke the other one, here it is again!"  
I looked at her work. Right under her name, she wrote, "Thank you". I bent down as far as I could and told her "Thanks. I'll keep this part forever." I lightly patted my cast.  
She giggled, then gave me a peck on the cheek. Everyone laughed.  
"What's so funny?" I asked.  
"The shade of red your face turned when she kissed you, Jim!" Aisha teased between fits of maniacal laughter.  
I hit her in the shin with a crutch.  
"Well, everyone," Gene said "This is goodbye."  
We all waved as we got back on the Outlaw Star, and back home.  
Before we took off, I stared out into the distance for a minute. As we blasted into orbit, I could see my father's face clearly into the deep blue, and his voice saying,  
"I love you, Jim, and you make me proud."  
  
A/N: Well, Whaddya think? This had to be by far the LONGEST fan fic of ANY series I have ever done! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing this! Well, I've got some reading to do, so sayounara!!  
  
-Tsukasa-kun 


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